More dumb Zbrush questions!

Daz

Sorry!

So one thing that I'm pretty stumped with when it comes to using zbrush in a pre-rendered environment. i.e not games. I still haven't gotten out of the habit of making my initial maya model pretty detailed. Perhaps it will change in time, but for right now Im using zbrush really just for high frequency detail. Wrinkles, skin pores etc. After the several subdivisions, I've no hope of getting that geometry back into maya and rendering, so I guess all I really need is a bump. The problem is, how the hell do export JUST a bump? A displacement isn't really what I want, since that applied as a bump looks very, very odd, because it has medium frequency detail in there too that is allready in my model and it just sort of exaggerates features. I get a better look painting a bump map in photoshop and therefore completely negating the need for zbrush. Does this make any sense? Do I need to post pics?

poopinmymouth

Follow Arshlevons tutorial for getting out a bump, but make sure to go down a few more levels than he did, so your lowest level is essentially what your model in maya would look like with subD turned on. That way it only will give you small scale detail. Hope that helps buddy.

SIGN ON MSN YOU WANKER!

ScoobyDoofus

Daz,

I'd say you should watch this tut by Arsh.
Arsh: New tutorial! Zbrush & Max

While this tut references Max stuff, I think its applicable for Maya as well.
It basically details the process of exporting your low_rez cage from Zbrush (you may have made proportion changes, so this remains necessary) along with a normal map for high frequency details.

I'm assuming you can apply a Normal Map as your bump in Maya, and still sub-divide your mesh for rendering.

Daz

Arsh's tut was pretty useful, but it didn't give me the stuff I need on the back end on the maya side. Plus I don't want to be spitting models back out of Zbrush and into Maya using the cage stuff. My model is rigged allready so I don't want to change it. I simply want to add micro detail in the form of a bump map. Pores, wrinkles. Something I'd usually do in Photoshop but I'm figuring it'd be nice to do in 3D.

This tut in fact, is EXACTLY what I'm after: http://206.145.80.239/zbc/showthread.php?t=3204
I have a high res Maya model, and I'm really looking for a solution for Zbrush just handling my high frequency detail, and nothing more ( for now ) .I want a way to ISOLATE the bump out. I can't see how normal and displacement could do that. They have everything in there which I don't want. The only problem is that the tut is actually really hard to follow for a new zbrush user ( unless I'm just stupid ) and I totally cant get it to work. Oh well, I'll wrap my head around it some more.

Out now but will do tomorrow Poop!

frostymoose

Sorry I can't help you out (not much experience in Z, myself) but that doesn't look like what you're after. That tut seems to instruct how to PAINT a greyscale bump straight onto your model using Zbrush - not how to export a bump using your high res mesh.

Daz

Yeah that's exactly what I need. To paint my bump in Zbrush and then export my bump and only my bump for rendering in maya. I have a high res model that's providing my low and med frequency detail that I've made in maya, so I dont need zbrush to export that for me along with the bump.
If you look at the last post there at that guys images, his top is his displacement. I don't need that, since my maya model is very high resolution. His bottom is his bump without the displacement interfering: http://206.145.80.239/zbc/showthread.php?t=3204&page=2&pp=15
that's exactly what Im after.

arshlevon

zbrush will generate the displacement map according to what level of subdivision that you are on and what is the highest.. so if you only want to export the tiny little details.. go to your second to highest level of subdivision and "delete lower" then render a displacement map.. now this map will only contain the tiny little details that exist between the second to highest and highest..and will be a "bump map"..

FatAssasin

Don't know if this helps or not, I'm a Zbrush noob myself, but Pixologic has released a new advanced displacement export plugin with many features.

"Displacement Exporter contains many innovative features such as the ability to convert a displacement map into a normal map. From this plug-in you can export 8 bit, 16 bit, or 32 bit RGB or grey-scale maps. You have full control over each channel, can flip your map as well as have access to the innovative 8dot8 file export."

http://206.145.80.239/zbc/showthread.php?p=230996#post230996

Daz

BAHAHAH thanks Arsh. That'll be er, exactly what Poop suggested first then. Im such a spaz. Trying now. And thanks for the link Fat.